Every single one of them.
Before I've even picked up an instrument, before I've had a chance to say anything at all, they apologise.
"Sorry, I haven't been to a dentist in so long." Or "I know my teeth are bad, that's actually why I kept putting this off." My personal favourite: "Sorry I didn't brush before coming." And then there's the ones who say they thought the pain would go away on its own. It usually does, they tell me. This time it just didn't.
I nod. I say it's okay. I say let me take a look. And then we move on.
I don't say what I'm actually thinking, which is that I know. I know nobody is too busy to visit a clinic. I know the teeth didn't get worse because life got hectic. I know the appointment got pushed because somewhere, on some level, you just didn't want to come.
And that's fine.
I'm not here to judge the reason. I've heard enough of them to know there's rarely a good one, and also that it doesn't really matter anymore. I've made my peace with it.
What I haven't made my peace with, and this is the part I wish I could actually say out loud, is what happens after.
You've come in. You've sat down. You've apologised for the delay and I've told you it's okay. We've figured out what's wrong and we've talked about what needs to happen next. And then, some of you leave and do nothing. You think about it for a few weeks. You decide to get a second opinion, maybe a third. Not because you genuinely want another perspective, but because deep down you're hoping someone will tell you that you don't actually need treatment. That it'll sort itself out. That you can wait a little longer.
It won't. You can't.
So here's what I'd say if the professional filter was off: I don't need an explanation for why you waited. Truly. What's done is done and I'm not interested in going back there. But since you're here now, since you know what's wrong and you know what needs to be done, don't delay the treatment. Don't try to save a little money. Don't go looking for someone to tell you it's not that serious.
Just do it. Be done with it.
And then, please come back. Not when the pain is unbearable. Not when you've run out of excuses. Just regularly, like a normal person who has decided that their mouth is worth maintaining.
That way, next time you sit in my chair, you won't have to apologise first.
And honestly? That would be a lovely change.
If you've been putting off your appointment, you can find me Heal Dental Clinic in Harlur
Everyone Who Sits In My Dental Chair Apologises First
